The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom (Game Thread VII)

[Jerrard]

Jerrard stifles a giggle, and keeps his face hidden.
"Thank you for coming to aid us, the creature needs to be killed, to be stopped." He says to Ulster, "I would like a nice cold ale." he jokes.

[Breila]

"Yes, and the best part is that you'll be able to afford all that, once we get out of here." Babushka smiles. "You're brave to have come with us then, Ulster. You could have asked to be brought to the surface instead."

[JadedDM]

"Yes, brave," Ulster says. "Or stupid. I always get those two mixed up, to be honest. But this Shroom thing deserves to be brought to justice. It tormented me and Merithina for weeks, experimented on poor Thuskar, and...brutally murdered my friends and fellow guards by putting them into that mincer. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try to avenge them."

[Breila]

"Yes, the line dividing them is slim." Babushka acknowledges. "I guess it all depends on the outcome. If everything goes well, people say you were brave, if it doesn't, they call you stupid."

Now that they've progressed along the slope, what do they see?

[Jenara]

Locky is further ahead, she is not skipping, rather walking slowly, she saw the bones but continued past. What does she see?

[JadedDM]

Because the party moves slowly and carefully, nobody slips and falls. It takes ten minutes of travel to reach the end of the tunnel, where they find themselves in a small foyer that is only thirty by 10 feet in size.

The river rushes forward straight at the wall, and disappears through a small tunnel. There is no way anyone but Babushka or Locky could enter this tunnel, and it would still require them to swim as the river is rushing through it quite strongly. From the sound of the rushing water within, it is apparent that anyone trying to follow the stream through this entrance would soon be dashed to death against the rock walls of the channel.

To the right and to the left are doorways. The western hangs open partially. The eastern is closed and latched, although it would only be a matter of flipping open the latch to enter it.

.X.X._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X._._._.X.X.X.
.X._._._._._._.X.
.X.d.X._.X.X.d.X.

X - Solid Rock
d - Doorway
Blue - river

[Breila]

"Locky, where are you?" Babushka asks. "I'd rather not cross the river here unsecured. Let me check the door and around it for signs of recent passage."

1d20=5

[JadedDM]

Searching about, Babushka finds no sign that anyone has passed through here at least in the last 12 hours. Well, except for the open door, of course.

[Jenara]

"Right here." she whispers in Babs ear, "You think we should go in?"

[Breila]

"I don't see any signs that someone passed here. But then of course, what kind of trace would a mushroom make?

Locky, can you squeeze through first, but come back if you see something dangerous? Touch me when you pass me, please, so I know you went in."

Babushka readies her sling and peeks through the door once Locky passed her.

[Jenara]

Doing what Babuskha asks, Locky taps Bab on the bottom before slipping through the door, keeping as quiet as she can.

1d100=48 Fail. (just)

[JadedDM]

Stepping through the open doorway, Locky finds herself in a small triangle shaped room made of mortared stone. It contains several large husks hanging from the ceiling, which Locky immediately recognizes as dried-out pods. The room is dusty and clearly abandoned.

Inside some of the pods, there are the remains of partially grown pod-men, recognizable as having a vaguely humanoid shape but with no bones. They are simply rotted shapes of vegetable matter held loosely together with filaments like the veins of leaves.

To the south is an opening. Further south is another, smaller, triangle-shaped mortared room. To the west is a man-made tunnel. To the east is the roaring river again. There is no safe way to cross it, as it is rushing past at incredible speed by this point.

=============================

.X.X.X.X._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X.X._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X.X._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._._._._._.X.
.X.X.X.d.X._.X.X.d.X.
.X.p._._.X._.X.
.X.p._._.X._.X.
.X.X.p._.X._.X.
.X.X.p._.X._.X.
.X.X.X._.X._.X.
._._._._._._._.
.X.X.X._.X._.X.
.X.X._._.X._.X.
.X._._._.X._.X.
.X.X.X.X.X._.X.

X - Solid Rock
p - Withered, dried-out pods
d - Doorway
Blue - river

[Breila]

Peering in after Locky, Babushka looks at the pods and asks: "Do you think we should asks the men to burn the pods?"

[Jenara]

"I think Jerrard will run away scared the second he sees these." Locky mutters, moving out of the room slightly, "I dont really understand this fear thing.."

[Breila]

"There are dried pods in there. Ulster, could you please go and burn them? So we can pass?" Babushka asks. She stays close to Jerrard in the dark.